The lack of Senate support for the legislated cuts was made clear in mid-October, sparking media stories about the prospect of the Government seeking to make backdoor cuts.

Yet research showed cuts weren’t just unpopular with the Parliament – but also with the Australian people.

Australia’s ‘future fund’ for higher education – which has helped to build hugely-important facilities that help generate economic growth in regional Australia – also came under renewed threat. Once again, UA made the sector’s strong case to safeguard this driver of future jobs and growth.

The survey of our students that our universities – through UA – funded and asked the Australian Human Rights Commission to undertake, was released in August. With a commitment to further swift and strong action, UA released the sector’s 10-point action plan to guide our next steps.

And here is the powerful moment in which UA Chair Professor Margaret Gardner spoke directly to student survivors about what they had experienced at the hands of the person who sexually assaulted them.

In 2017, UA also launched the sector’s first comprehensive Indigenous strategy including ambitious targets that universities have set to boost their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student enrolments. The strategy was developed in partnership with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium.

In a lyrical speech at the Parliament House launch, young Gumbaynggirr woman Lilly Brown – a University of Melbourne PhD student – spoke movingly about the thousands of generations of deep knowledge that Australia’s first people carry which connects to country.

And in a passionate masterclass on storytelling, iconic Australian actor Jack Thompson held the sector’s communicators spellbound at the Universities Australia Marketing Communications and Development conference.

UA spoke up – and the Government listened and acted in response – to avert changes to temporary work visa rules that would have impeded Australia’s ongoing ability to attract the best and brightest global university talent to work alongside our homegrown superstars.

Likewise, UA voiced members' concerns on the Australian Research Council’s Engagement and Impact exercise.

UA continued a sustained campaign to retain the $3.8 billion Education Investment Fund, the last source of Commonwealth support for higher education and research infrastructure. At the time of writing, the abolition Bill has not passed the parliament.

UA also marked the 10th anniversary of Universities Australia – and almost a century since its predecessor body was founded – with a short documentary: Keeping it Clever since 1920.